O'Sullivan unhappy with snooker's prize money

World champion Ronnie O'Sullivan has criticised the lack of prize money on offer in snooker, although he has admitted that things are improving under Barry Hearn.

O'Sullivan, 38, won £250,000 for winning the world title in May, but said he was better off winning titles 20 years ago.

"Barry is telling me and the players there is a lot of money in the game now," he told the Daily Star. "But when I was 18 or 19 I could take my winnings for the season and buy six one-bedroom flats in Stratford in east London.

"Now, I couldn't afford one. There is money in the game but everything else has gone up astronomically and snooker has stayed where it was. There have been improvements but I have noticed that you can't do so much with what you earn as you used to."